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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. band — a ring
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. race — humankind
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. race — a contest
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. race — the arms race
  18. key — in music
  19. stock — shares
  20. chip — for betting
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. nail — on a finger
  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