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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · key · saw · mine · wound · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. roll — a list
  6. key — in music
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bore — to tire
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bore — to drill
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. key — the most important part
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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