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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 · nail · bound · tear · saw · staff · mark · mine

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mine — for digging
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tear — to rip
  15. key — for a lock
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mark — a trace
  19. staff — a stick
  20. key — the most important part
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. staff — employees
  23. bound — certain
  24. key — in music

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