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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. date — the fruit
  3. track — to keep track
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bore — to tire
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. clip — to cut
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a ring
  15. track — a song
  16. clip — a video
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. clip — for paper
  19. band — a music group
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. foot — a measure
  22. track — a path
  23. key — for a lock
  24. temple — side of the head

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