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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: nail · shower · fine · scale · hand · temple · key · spell

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. scale — in music
  3. hand — help
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — in cards
  16. shower — rain
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fine — all right
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spell — letters
  22. shower — to wash
  23. scale — for weighing
  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