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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. object — to protest
  5. key — the most important part
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mug — to rob
  8. capital — money
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. branch — a division
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. key — in music
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mug — a cup
  17. shower — to wash
  18. present — a gift
  19. file — a tool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mug — a face
  22. capital — a city
  23. file — a document
  24. branch — of a tree

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