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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bass — the fish
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. kid — to tease
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bass — low music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. key — in music
  14. fall — the season
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. swing — music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. kid — child

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