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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wound — an injury
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mug — to rob
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. march — the month
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wound — an injury
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. march — music
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — to get on
  16. march — the month
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. snap — to click
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. key — the most important part
  23. board — a committee
  24. key — in music

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