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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. shower — to wash
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. tube — a container
  7. shower — rain
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. key — the most important part
  11. row — to paddle
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cap — a lid
  15. drill — army training
  16. key — in music
  17. row — a line
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. tube — the underground
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wake — a trail
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cap — a hat

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