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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: cap · squash · key · perch · stick · shower · rest · last

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rest — what's left
  3. shower — rain
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — to wash
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cap — a lid
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. last — to go on
  14. rest — a break
  15. last — finally
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — in music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. last — final
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — a hat
  24. key — for a lock

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