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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. kick — in football
  3. shower — to wash
  4. field — a subject
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. march — music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. shower — rain
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. march — the month
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. march — the month
  20. field — for sport
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — in music

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