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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — the season
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mug — a face
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mug — a cup
  18. shower — rain
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spring — of water
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — in music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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