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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — help
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. key — the most important part
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — in music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — to fit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hand — in cards
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. suit — in cards

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