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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: wind · key · leaves · jam · safe · prune · game · shower

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. key — the most important part
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wind — moving air
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. game — wild animals
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. shower — to wash
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. prune — to trim
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. key — for a lock
  19. game — a match
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. prune — to trim
  23. key — in music
  24. shower — rain

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