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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · bore · key · spell · leaves · lie · kick · cap

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. spell — magic
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. key — for a lock
  17. kick — in football
  18. spell — letters
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bore — to drill
  23. spell — a short time
  24. lie — an untruth

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