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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.

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: bore · present · net · staff · season · wound · key · kick

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. season — in sport
  3. key — in music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. present — a gift
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bore — to tire
  9. season — of the year
  10. kick — in football
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wound — an injury
  14. staff — employees
  15. net — after costs
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. present — there
  19. net — in sport
  20. present — the time now
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. net — for catching
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. key — for a lock

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