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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. key — in music
  4. staff — employees
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. staff — a stick
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spell — letters
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. spell — magic
  12. staff — employees
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bore — to drill
  15. row — a line
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. spell — a short time
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bore — to tire
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — for digging
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mine — belonging to me

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