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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · mouse · wind · rush · mug · temple · swing · shower

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mug — to rob
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. key — the most important part
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mug — a face
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. key — in music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. shower — to wash
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wind — moving air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. shower — rain
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — music

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