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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: can · key · mate · suit · shower · bat · squash · wind

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. suit — to fit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. shower — rain
  9. key — the most important part
  10. suit — in cards
  11. can — a tin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. suit — clothes
  16. key — in music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. key — for a lock
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mate — a partner

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