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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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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: tear · deal · bore · spell · key · cue · last · bat

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tear — from crying
  5. key — the most important part
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — a hint
  10. key — in music
  11. bat — the animal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cue — for pool
  14. tear — to rip
  15. last — to go on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. last — final
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cue — a signal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bore — to drill

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