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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. race — humankind
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — a contest
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. staff — employees
  11. row — a line
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bore — to drill
  14. staff — a stick
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bat — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bore — to tire
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bat — in an idiom

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