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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: jam · rush · wind · rock · key · kid · present · shower

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rock — a stone
  7. present — a gift
  8. key — the most important part
  9. shower — to wash
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. present — the time now
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. shower — rain
  14. present — there
  15. key — for a lock
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. key — in music
  24. wind — moving air

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