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

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fall — the season
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bank — for money
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rash — a series
  15. cell — in biology
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cell — a phone
  18. key — in music

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