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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. last — finally
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a great time
  12. key — the most important part
  13. last — final
  14. spring — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — to shout
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. last — to go on
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. key — in music
  24. nail — on a finger

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