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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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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: nail · squash · ruler · shower · club · fork · key · lash

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. shower — rain
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. club — for dancing
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. shower — to wash
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fork — in a road
  19. club — for golf
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. key — for a lock
  24. club — a group

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