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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bore — to drill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chest — a box
  7. mark — a trace
  8. key — in music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. chest — of your body
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. squash — the sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. craft — boats
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bulb — for light

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