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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. key — the most important part
  4. scale — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. scale — size or range
  8. squash — to crush
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — low music
  11. squash — the sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stem — to come from
  20. key — in music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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