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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: nail · key · hide · rest · net · straw · fine · cell

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. rest — a break
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. net — after costs
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — in sport
  8. fine — all right
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cell — in biology
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fine — high quality
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cell — a phone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — for catching
  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