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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 116 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 · fork · key · pop · shower · hand · rash · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fork — in a road
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rash — a series
  8. hand — help
  9. key — for a lock
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pop — soda
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pop — to visit
  21. shower — rain
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pop — music
  24. hand — in cards

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