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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cap — a hat
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. object — an aim
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. net — after costs
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. net — for catching
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. cap — a lid
  24. object — a thing

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