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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mug — a cup
  4. shower — rain
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. rush — hurry
  8. shower — to wash
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mug — to rob
  11. key — in music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mug — a face
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. key — the most important part
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. kick — in football
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bowl — a football final

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