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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bat — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pass — a permit
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. swing — music
  17. key — in music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. swing — to play on
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rock — music

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