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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. shower — to wash
  3. hand — help
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pit — a hole
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — in music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. shower — rain
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. hand — in cards
  23. snap — to click
  24. plane — a tool

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