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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: sharp · chair · key · face · racket · rash · kick · shower

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. key — in music
  6. face — to confront
  7. key — for a lock
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rash — a series
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. shower — to wash
  16. sharp — clever
  17. face — to point toward
  18. chair — a leader
  19. shower — rain
  20. kick — in football
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rash — hasty
  24. key — the most important part

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