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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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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: kick · pass · bore · firm · shower · club · wound · key

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. key — for a lock
  3. kick — in football
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. key — the most important part
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. club — for golf
  9. key — in music
  10. firm — steady
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pass — a permit
  18. shower — rain
  19. club — a group
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. bore — to tire
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bore — to drill

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