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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. net — for catching
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. net — after costs
  13. stock — shares
  14. net — in sport
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — for digging
  18. sharp — clever
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mine — belonging to me

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