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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — in music
  4. race — humankind
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. key — the most important part
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. shower — rain
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. shower — to wash
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wake — a trail
  22. race — a contest
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bass — the instrument

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