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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bank — for money
  3. fine — high quality
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wake — a trail
  9. key — the most important part
  10. degree — from a university
  11. shower — rain
  12. bank — for money
  13. key — in music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. degree — temperature
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bank — of a river
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fine — all right
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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