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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. row — to paddle
  4. key — in music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mug — to rob
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. game — a match
  10. craft — boats
  11. mug — a face
  12. shower — rain
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. shower — to wash
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. craft — a skill
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. row — a line
  23. mug — a cup
  24. key — for a lock

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