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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: key · mouse · mate · hand · nail · lie · staff · hide

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. staff — a stick
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. hand — in cards
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hand — help
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — to breed
  20. staff — employees
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — on a finger

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