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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. key — for a lock
  4. craft — boats
  5. drill — the tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — hurry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. shower — to wash
  12. key — in music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. drill — army training
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. shower — rain
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. craft — a skill

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