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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pop — to visit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — to wash
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. shower — rain
  11. track — a song
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pop — music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. key — the most important part
  17. track — a path
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lean — thin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pop — soda

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