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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fall — the season
  11. content — happy
  12. saw — the tool
  13. key — in music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — a series
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rash — hasty
  22. content — the amount
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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