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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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 — for a lock
  3. drill — army training
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. file — a document
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rash — a series
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. key — in music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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