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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. row — to paddle
  3. march — the month
  4. last — to go on
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. row — a line
  10. march — music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. season — in sport
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. last — finally
  15. key — for a lock
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. cue — a signal
  19. march — the month
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bore — to drill
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bore — to tire
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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