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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. clip — for paper
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mark — a trace
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. key — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. shower — rain
  12. clip — to cut
  13. tube — a container
  14. clip — a video
  15. face — to confront
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mark — a grade
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to point toward
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tube — in a tire

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