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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — a stone
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. club — a group
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. race — humankind
  13. club — for golf
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. race — the arms race
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. key — in music
  20. race — a contest
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. charge — a price
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. club — for dancing

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