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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — in music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — a path
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. shower — rain
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. snap — to click
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lie — to recline
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — a song
  24. lie — an untruth

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