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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. key — the most important part
  6. last — finally
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spell — magic
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. key — in music
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. last — to go on
  18. key — for a lock
  19. spell — letters
  20. rush — hurry
  21. spell — a short time
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. shower — to wash

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