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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. track — a path
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. track — a song
  8. staff — employees
  9. key — the most important part
  10. scale — size or range
  11. staff — employees
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. staff — a stick
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. shower — to wash
  17. scale — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. key — in music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. track — to keep track

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