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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. kick — in football
  3. bound — obliged
  4. dip — to sink
  5. key — in music
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. drill — army training
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mate — a friend
  16. drill — a practice
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rash — a series
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. key — the most important part
  24. drill — the tool

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