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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. object — to protest
  4. shower — rain
  5. ground — crushed
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ground — a position
  11. content — happy
  12. lie — to recline
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. key — in music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. content — the amount
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — the most important part

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