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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. key — for a lock
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. key — in music
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. track — to keep track
  11. last — finally
  12. key — the most important part
  13. track — a path
  14. row — to paddle
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. last — final
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a song
  19. row — a line
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. sharp — with an edge

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