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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: hide · nail · fork · key · lash · fan · present · ground

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. present — the time now
  4. ground — a position
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — in a road
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ground — crushed
  18. key — in music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ground — the earth
  22. key — for a lock
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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