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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: object · nail · ball · key · hand · shower · foot · mouse

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. object — to protest
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. key — for a lock
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a great time
  12. key — in music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. shower — rain
  16. hand — help
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. object — an aim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. foot — a measure

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