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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 116 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: racket · key · shower · wax · nail · hide · perch · stick

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. perch — the fish
  3. key — in music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — to grow
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — for a lock
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. shower — to wash
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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