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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mate — to breed
  3. key — in music
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cold — not warm
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mate — a partner
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bank — of a river
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. key — the most important part

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