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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — a gift
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to click
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — a lid
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cap — of ice
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cap — a hat
  22. key — the most important part
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. key — in music

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