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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wind — moving air
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. key — in music
  9. rock — music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bat — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cue — a hint
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. temple — side of the head

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