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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. key — the most important part
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. roll — a list
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rock — music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rock — a stone
  18. suit — clothes
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. key — for a lock
  24. roll — on a roll

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