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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — letters
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bore — to tire
  9. key — in music
  10. bark — to shout
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. spell — magic
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. jam — a tight spot

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