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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. spring — a coil
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. shower — rain
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spring — the season
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — to eat
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chip — for betting
  22. kick — in football
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spring — of water

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