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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. club — a group
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. club — for golf
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. key — in music
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. club — for dancing
  21. land — ground
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. land — to come down
  24. root — the cause

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