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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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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: race · prune · nail · pass · fan · key · hide · capital

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. race — the arms race
  4. capital — money
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. race — a contest
  15. capital — a city
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — for a lock
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — a permit
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. race — humankind

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