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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. track — to keep track
  7. key — in music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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