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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bore — to tire
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mug — a face
  8. key — in music
  9. mug — to rob
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bound — certain
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bound — obliged
  20. key — the most important part
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. plane — in geometry

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