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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: key · file · sharp · nail · mark · fork · rest · staff

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. file — a document
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — employees
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rest — what's left
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mark — a grade
  21. file — a tool
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. staff — employees

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