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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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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: last · key · shower · rock · staff · wave · straw · pop

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. last — to go on
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rock — a stone
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rock — music
  7. shower — rain
  8. key — in music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. staff — employees
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. shower — to wash
  14. staff — employees
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. last — final
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. key — for a lock
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. last — finally

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