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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
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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: key · spell · fine · staff · drill · face · perch · bore

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. face — to confront
  4. key — in music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. spell — magic
  9. bore — to tire
  10. drill — a practice
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. face — to point toward
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. staff — employees
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. drill — army training
  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