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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: present · lie · bear · arm · shower · scale · hand · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. present — a gift
  4. scale — size or range
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lie — to recline
  9. scale — in music
  10. shower — rain
  11. present — the time now
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — there
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. hand — help
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. hand — in cards
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bear — the animal

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