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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. fine — high quality
  3. branch — a division
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cell — a phone
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. shower — rain
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fine — all right
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bass — low music
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. object — to protest
  20. cell — in biology
  21. key — in music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fine — a penalty
  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