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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · object · key · clip · hide · drill · can · wound

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. key — the most important part
  7. object — to protest
  8. key — in music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. object — a thing
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. clip — to cut
  18. can — a tin
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wound — an injury
  21. drill — army training
  22. mate — a partner
  23. clip — a video
  24. object — an aim

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