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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. key — in music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bark — to shout
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. key — the most important part
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bore — to tire
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lean — thin
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cell — a phone

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