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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. key — in music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with

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