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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 116 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 · fine · firm · wound · charge · capital · key · nail

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — the most important part
  5. charge — in control
  6. firm — decided
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. charge — a price
  9. key — in music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. firm — a company
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. capital — a city
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. key — for a lock
  20. firm — steady
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. capital — money
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hide — animal skin

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