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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: rock · key · saw · board · shower · kick · wound · club

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. club — a group
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — music
  7. kick — in football
  8. board — a committee
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — to get on
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — in music
  19. shower — rain
  20. key — for a lock
  21. club — for golf
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. key — the most important part
  24. club — for dancing

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