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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. spell — magic
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — in music
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pound — a weight
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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