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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: net · shower · rash · file · present · key · mouse · wound

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. net — after costs
  10. key — in music
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rash — a series
  16. wound — an injury
  17. file — a tool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. net — in sport
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. present — the time now
  23. net — for catching
  24. rash — hasty

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