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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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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: charge · nail · hide · net · firm · march · key · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. mate — to breed
  6. key — the most important part
  7. march — the month
  8. net — after costs
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. charge — a price
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. net — for catching
  15. firm — decided
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. march — the month
  18. net — in sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — in control
  23. key — in music
  24. march — music

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