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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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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: bowl · key · ruler · hide · nail · cell · charge · pound

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. key — the most important part
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. charge — in control
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cell — in biology
  22. key — in music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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