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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: mate · key · chair · kid · land · nail · lash · current

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mate — to breed
  9. kid — to tease
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mate — a partner
  12. land — ground
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. kid — child
  17. land — to come down
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. key — in music
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lash — an eyelash

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