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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hand — help
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spring — of water
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rule — government
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. key — in music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — the season
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — to lash out

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