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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. track — to keep track
  3. key — for a lock
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. season — of the year
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — a gift
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. present — there
  14. tube — the underground
  15. prune — to trim
  16. key — the most important part
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. key — in music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. season — in sport
  23. track — a path
  24. present — the time now

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