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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — the most important part
  3. can — a tin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. key — for a lock
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. can — a tin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tear — from crying
  14. key — in music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. tear — to rip
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. tear — from crying
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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