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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rush — hurry
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. drill — army training
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — to handle
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. drill — a practice

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