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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
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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: straw · key · suit · shower · present · nail · mate · face

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. shower — to wash
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mate — to breed
  8. key — in music
  9. present — the time now
  10. face — to confront
  11. present — there
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — a friend
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mate — a partner
  18. present — a gift
  19. shower — rain
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. suit — clothes
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — for a lock

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