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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: net · key · hide · sharp · kid · march · mouse · lash

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. net — for catching
  6. march — the month
  7. key — for a lock
  8. net — in sport
  9. sharp — clever
  10. march — the month
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. kid — to tease
  19. march — music
  20. net — after costs
  21. kid — child
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. key — in music
  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