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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bore — to tire
  3. last — finally
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. last — to go on
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. roll — a list
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fine — all right
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — to come from
  18. key — in music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fine — high quality
  22. roll — a cake
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. key — the most important part

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