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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 124 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — in music
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bound — certain
  9. track — to keep track
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a path
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bound — tied together
  16. spell — letters
  17. track — a song
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bound — obliged
  20. spell — magic
  21. shower — to wash
  22. key — for a lock
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. shower — rain

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