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

Word bank: snap · rash · bore · cell · stick · key · rock · land

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rock — a stone
  6. land — a country
  7. key — the most important part
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. land — ground
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rock — music
  15. land — to come down
  16. rash — a series
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bore — to drill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — in music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cell — a phone
  24. snap — to click

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