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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. march — music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pass — a permit
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chip — for betting
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chip — to eat
  21. key — in music
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. march — the month
  24. nail — for a hammer

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