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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. mate — a friend
  3. key — the most important part
  4. file — a tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — to eat
  7. file — a line of people
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — in music
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bound — tied together
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a document
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  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