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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. key — in music
  5. rush — hurry
  6. season — of the year
  7. key — for a lock
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rash — a series
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. shower — rain
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rash — hasty
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. season — in sport
  23. shower — to wash
  24. game — a kind of play

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