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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spell — a short time
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. shower — rain
  8. race — a contest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. key — in music
  12. race — humankind
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spell — letters
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. shower — to wash
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spell — magic
  24. nail — for a hammer

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