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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. ground — a position
  8. key — for a lock
  9. branch — a division
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. key — in music
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. branch — of a tree

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