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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: mine · bulb · suit · drill · hide · key · tear · cabinet

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — in music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. tear — from crying
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — army training
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. suit — in cards
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bulb — for light
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tear — from crying

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