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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rash — a series
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mug — a cup
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bore — to tire
  8. key — in music
  9. bore — to drill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. present — a gift
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. present — there
  15. bat — the animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rash — hasty
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mug — a face
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bat — in an idiom

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