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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. key — in music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cap — of ice
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. shower — rain
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — a hat
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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