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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. shower — rain
  3. key — for a lock
  4. current — electric
  5. key — the most important part
  6. degree — from a university
  7. current — of water
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. shower — to wash
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rash — a series
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. key — in music
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. current — happening now
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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