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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. key — in music
  3. net — for catching
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wake — a trail
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. net — after costs
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. key — the most important part
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. net — in sport

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