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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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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: fall · kid · rush · spell · key · craft · roll · shower

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. roll — a list
  5. key — in music
  6. craft — boats
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. kid — to tease
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — hurry
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. key — for a lock
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. spell — letters
  22. fall — the season
  23. craft — a skill
  24. roll — a cake

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