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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · ball · pound · lean · field · nail · key · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. field — farmland
  13. ball — a dance
  14. field — a subject
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. field — for sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. key — in music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pound — a weight

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