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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bore — to drill
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ground — crushed
  18. shower — rain
  19. ground — a position
  20. game — a match
  21. lean — thin
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lean — to bend
  24. straw — dry grass

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