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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. firm — steady
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. firm — decided
  10. key — the most important part
  11. band — a ring
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. shower — rain
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — a tool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. band — a music group

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