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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. clip — a video
  3. key — the most important part
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. roll — a list
  7. club — a group
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — in music
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. clip — for paper
  14. roll — a cake
  15. key — for a lock
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — for dancing
  19. capital — a city
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. club — for golf
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lie — to recline

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