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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. lean — thin
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cue — a hint
  6. track — a song
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. track — a path
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lean — to bend
  14. drill — the tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. drill — army training
  19. cue — for pool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. key — in music
  24. chair — a professorship

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