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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. plane — a tool
  7. net — in sport
  8. key — in music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. net — for catching
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fine — high quality
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fine — all right
  18. bass — low music
  19. shower — rain
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. net — after costs
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mark — a trace
  24. plane — an aircraft

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