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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ground · lie · toast · key · nail · lash · land · march

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — for a lock
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. march — the month
  6. land — ground
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. land — a country
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ground — a position
  14. land — to come down
  15. toast — bread
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. march — music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — in music
  23. ground — crushed
  24. toast — the most admired

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