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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.

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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: mark · last · key · club · land · bore · wind · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wind — moving air
  7. club — a group
  8. key — for a lock
  9. club — for golf
  10. mark — a grade
  11. key — in music
  12. last — to go on
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wind — moving air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to drill
  17. land — to come down
  18. last — finally
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. last — final
  21. land — ground
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. land — a country

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