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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. key — in music
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. shower — rain
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a dance
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rash — a series

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