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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. key — the most important part
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bound — certain
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. spell — a short time
  11. craft — a skill
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. craft — boats
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spell — letters
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spell — magic
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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