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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. key — for a lock
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. band — a ring
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — the most important part
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bass — the fish
  13. can — a tin
  14. shower — rain
  15. key — in music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — boats
  18. bass — low music
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. craft — a skill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a music group

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