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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bore — to tire
  4. key — in music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. clip — for paper
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bore — to drill
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. clip — a video
  16. foot — a measure
  17. squash — the sport
  18. clip — to cut
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. hand — help
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com