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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 120 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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. fall — the season
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fall — to drop
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rest — a break
  18. wound — an injury

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