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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. key — the most important part
  4. present — the time now
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. roll — a list
  8. ground — a position
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — there
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. key — in music
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. hand — in cards
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. drill — army training
  18. rest — a break
  19. ground — crushed
  20. present — a gift
  21. key — for a lock
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hand — help
  24. roll — a cake

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