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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chair — a leader
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rush — hurry
  7. charge — a price
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wake — a trail
  10. charge — in control
  11. key — in music
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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