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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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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. track — a path
  3. cue — a hint
  4. key — the most important part
  5. land — a country
  6. cue — for pool
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — in music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cue — a signal
  12. shower — rain
  13. wake — a trail
  14. land — to come down
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fine — all right
  19. land — ground
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — high quality
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  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