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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. scale — in music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. key — for a lock
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. key — in music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wound — an injury
  20. scale — size or range
  21. drill — army training
  22. chip — for betting
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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