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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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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: deal · court · key · suit · kick · shower · stick · wave

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. shower — rain
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. court — of a king
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. key — in music
  16. court — of law
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. court — for sport
  20. key — for a lock
  21. deal — to handle
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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