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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bound — tied together
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bound — certain
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. drill — army training
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. key — in music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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