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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. saw — the tool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. band — a ring
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. key — in music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. bore — to tire
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. dip — to sink
  20. sharp — clever
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spring — of water

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