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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. shower — rain
  4. bore — to drill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitch — completely
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mate — a partner

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