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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — to point toward
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mate — a partner
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. key — in music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. key — the most important part
  15. scale — size or range
  16. face — to confront
  17. scale — in music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. face — part of the head
  24. coach — a trainer

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