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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: saw · shower · key · scale · hide · present · cabinet · sharp

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. present — the time now
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. shower — to wash
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. key — the most important part
  9. present — a gift
  10. key — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — size or range
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — the tool
  23. present — there
  24. key — for a lock

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