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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: bear · bay · rush · sharp · track · shower · key · cabinet

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. track — a path
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. key — in music
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. key — for a lock
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — a song
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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