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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: wake · snap · chip · firm · key · bay · date · shower

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wake — a trail
  4. key — for a lock
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. firm — decided
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. snap — to click
  9. key — the most important part
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. key — in music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. firm — a company
  18. shower — rain
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. date — the fruit
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. firm — steady

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