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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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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: object · file · branch · pit · key · nail · lash · snap

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. file — a tool
  5. object — an aim
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pit — a hole
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. key — the most important part
  23. branch — a division
  24. lash — to lash out

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