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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. club — a group
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bore — to tire
  4. kick — in football
  5. bore — to drill
  6. key — in music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mate — a friend
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. club — for golf
  16. bark — to shout
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. face — part of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. face — to confront
  23. bore — gave birth
  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