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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: season · nail · bore · bound · rock · tear · key · snap

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rock — music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bore — to tire
  8. season — in sport
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rock — a stone
  16. key — in music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. snap — to click
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bound — certain
  22. bore — to drill
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bound — tied together

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