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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. key — the most important part
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. capital — money
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. land — ground
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. land — a country
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bound — tied together
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bound — certain
  19. key — in music
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. capital — a city
  23. bound — obliged
  24. capital — a big letter

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