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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stock — goods
  3. cue — a signal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. shower — rain
  8. stock — shares
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. shower — to wash
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. key — in music
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. key — for a lock

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