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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bank — of a river
  6. season — in sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a hint
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. season — of the year
  14. rash — a series
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. key — for a lock
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — for money
  22. key — in music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bank — for money

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