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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bowl · mouse · spell · scale · date · face · key · shower

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. key — the most important part
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. face — to point toward
  8. shower — to wash
  9. spell — magic
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. key — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. face — to confront
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. spell — letters
  24. scale — size or range

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