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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spring — the season
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spring — a coil
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bark — to shout
  8. spring — of water
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. suit — clothes
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. key — for a lock
  24. suit — to fit

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