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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · key · shower · nail · band · rest · trunk · cue

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cue — for pool
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. band — a ring
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a signal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cue — a hint
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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