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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 124 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fork — in a road
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rule — a law
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rule — government
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stem — to come from

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