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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: mouse · shower · root · rush · season · key · drill · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. key — in music
  13. season — of the year
  14. key — the most important part
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rush — hurry
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. season — in sport
  20. shower — rain
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. key — for a lock
  24. season — to add flavour

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