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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · shower · object · scale · racket · key · chair · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. chair — a leader
  4. shower — to wash
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. last — finally
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. last — to go on
  9. object — an aim
  10. key — for a lock
  11. object — a thing
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. key — in music
  14. last — final
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. object — to protest
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. shower — rain

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