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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bass — the fish
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. lie — to recline
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mate — a partner
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mine — for digging
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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