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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.

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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: bay · kick · nail · chip · march · cell · rest · key

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. key — the most important part
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. march — the month
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. march — the month
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. cell — in biology
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. march — music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. kick — a thrill

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