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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rock — a stone
  6. roll — a cake
  7. snap — to click
  8. rock — music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mug — a face
  12. present — there
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mug — to rob
  15. clip — for paper
  16. roll — a list
  17. clip — to cut
  18. present — a gift
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. clip — a video
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. present — the time now
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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