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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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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: bark · nail · pit · hide · row · key · spring · kid

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. bark — to shout
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. spring — a coil
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. spring — of water
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pit — in a race
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — for a lock
  14. kid — child
  15. key — in music
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. spring — the season
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. key — the most important part
  22. row — a line
  23. kid — to tease
  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