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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 120 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.

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: bore · key · mine · calf · bark · cell · deal · sharp

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. key — in music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bore — to drill
  12. key — the most important part
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bark — to shout
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cell — in biology
  23. deal — an agreement
  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