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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bound — certain
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. key — in music
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. race — a contest
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. race — humankind
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bound — tied together
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. race — the arms race
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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