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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: pound · present · bore · nail · hand · hide · key · march

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. present — the time now
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. present — there
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. march — the month
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hand — help
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bore — to tire
  14. key — in music
  15. present — a gift
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bore — to drill
  24. nail — on a finger

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