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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bat — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. key — for a lock
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. key — the most important part
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tear — to rip
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kick — in football
  18. bore — to tire
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. dip — to sink

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