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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitch — completely
  8. shower — rain
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. object — a thing
  11. key — in music
  12. object — to protest
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. shower — to wash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. file — a tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wake — before a funeral

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