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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.

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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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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 · key · ball · bound · hide · hand · coach · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. shower — to wash
  4. last — finally
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bound — certain
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bound — obliged
  11. hand — help
  12. key — in music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. last — to go on
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ball — a great time
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. last — final
  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