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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. plane — a tool
  4. shower — rain
  5. mate — a friend
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bass — low music
  10. last — to go on
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the fish
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — the most important part
  17. last — finally
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cue — for pool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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