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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. row — a line
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. last — to go on
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bore — to drill
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rock — music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. key — the most important part
  17. last — finally
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — final
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — a stone
  24. key — in music

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