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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.

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: can · date · ball · chip · wind · key · shower · lie

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. shower — to wash
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wind — moving air
  7. key — the most important part
  8. date — the fruit
  9. shower — rain
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lie — to recline
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ball — a dance
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ball — a great time
  24. key — in music

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