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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bore — to drill
  5. row — to paddle
  6. shower — rain
  7. key — in music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mug — a face
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mark — a trace
  20. key — the most important part
  21. row — a line
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mark — a grade

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