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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: bowl · lean · bay · season · shower · key · object · current

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. key — for a lock
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. season — in sport
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. current — electric
  11. key — the most important part
  12. object — a thing
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lean — thin
  15. key — in music
  16. current — of water
  17. shower — rain
  18. object — an aim
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. object — to protest
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. current — happening now

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