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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. shower — rain
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. shower — to wash
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — for a lock
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. spring — the season
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — in music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. spring — of water
  24. firm — steady

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