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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: nail · bat · cabinet · leaves · pop · key · bore · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pop — soda
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pop — music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — to visit

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