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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. shower — rain
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. key — in music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. shower — to wash
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. date — on the calendar

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