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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cue — for pool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cue — a hint
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — in music
  10. shower — rain
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. track — a song
  13. tube — a container
  14. hand — help
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. hand — in cards
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a path
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cue — a signal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. shower — to wash

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