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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. craft — a skill
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. key — the most important part
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. row — a line
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. craft — boats

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