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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
468
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: mine · hide · safe · bore · spell · key · deal · swing

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mine — for digging
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. key — the most important part
  14. swing — music
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. key — in music
  17. deal — to handle
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — in golf
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hide — to keep secret

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