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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ground — crushed
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ground — the earth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. key — the most important part
  14. file — a document
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. key — in music
  18. ground — a position
  19. file — a tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. file — a line of people

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