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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. key — the most important part
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. key — for a lock
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bore — to tire
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ground — a position
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. squash — to crush

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