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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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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: mouse · key · cold · rest · firm · shower · plane · pitch

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. key — the most important part
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. firm — decided
  8. key — in music
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. firm — a company
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. shower — rain
  18. firm — steady
  19. cold — not warm
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mouse — 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