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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
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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: mark · pop · key · saw · fork · hide · wound · rush

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. key — the most important part
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pop — music
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — in music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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