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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bore — to drill
  4. race — a contest
  5. last — to go on
  6. spring — the season
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spring — of water
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — a division
  14. race — humankind
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. spring — a coil
  17. key — in music
  18. last — finally
  19. bore — to tire
  20. last — final
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. race — the arms race
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. key — the most important part

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