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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. roll — a list
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. key — for a lock
  6. deal — to handle
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bound — certain
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. shower — rain
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. object — a thing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bear — the animal

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