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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. firm — a company
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bore — to tire
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. key — in music
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. snap — to click
  16. firm — steady
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bore — to drill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. firm — decided
  21. scale — in music
  22. race — a contest
  23. key — the most important part
  24. scale — for weighing

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