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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 120 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lean — thin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bound — certain
  7. lean — to bend
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. key — in music
  16. season — in sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bound — tied together

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