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

Word bank: bear · nail · snap · chest · hide · row · fork · key

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. row — to paddle
  9. chest — of your body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. row — a line
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. chest — a box
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. nail — for a hammer

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