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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: key · hide · last · toast · mark · hand · nail · cabinet

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. toast — bread
  6. key — the most important part
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hand — help
  11. key — in music
  12. last — finally
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hand — in cards
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hide — to keep secret

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