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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 120 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: hide · bowl · key · sharp · swing · shower · wake · leaves

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — to play on
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. swing — in golf
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. swing — music
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. key — for a lock
  20. shower — rain
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — a trail
  24. shower — to wash

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