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

Word bank: suit · cap · fork · key · snap · chest · shower · bay

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chest — a box
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. key — for a lock
  9. snap — to click
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. key — in music
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. suit — in cards
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cap — a hat

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