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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cold — not warm
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cold — an illness
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chip — for betting
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — to eat
  23. key — the most important part
  24. hide — to keep secret

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