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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. shower — to wash
  3. row — a line
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cue — for pool
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cue — a hint
  16. key — in music
  17. shower — rain
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lean — thin
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rest — a break

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