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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. spell — letters
  2. dip — to sink
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. key — in music
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. roll — a list
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. roll — a cake
  19. key — for a lock
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bore — to drill
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bark — of a tree
  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