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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. file — a tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. court — for sport
  7. object — a thing
  8. key — in music
  9. object — to protest
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mug — to rob
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. file — a line of people
  16. court — of law
  17. mug — a cup
  18. object — an aim
  19. key — for a lock
  20. court — of a king
  21. rock — music
  22. file — a document
  23. mug — a face
  24. spell — magic

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