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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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