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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: mine · snap · shower · ball · lie · root · key · season

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. snap — to click
  5. season — in sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. key — for a lock
  9. season — of the year
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lie — to recline
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. root — of a word
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. root — the cause
  23. key — in music
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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