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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. shower — rain
  4. drill — a practice
  5. kick — in football
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. game — a match
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. drill — army training
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bank — for money
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lean — thin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. key — in music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lean — to bend

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