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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 116 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: bore · sharp · key · land · bay · deal · spell · trunk

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. sharp — clever
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. spell — magic
  6. land — a country
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spell — a short time
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. key — for a lock
  11. spell — letters
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bore — to drill
  17. key — in music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. key — the most important part

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