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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. shower — to wash
  3. key — in music
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — of water
  8. face — to confront
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. current — electric
  11. last — to go on
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. last — final
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. last — finally
  16. key — for a lock
  17. face — to point toward
  18. squash — the sport
  19. key — the most important part
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. shower — rain
  23. current — happening now
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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