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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. spell — a short time
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. key — the most important part
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spell — magic
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. net — for catching
  13. sharp — clever
  14. key — in music
  15. spell — letters
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. row — to paddle
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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