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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. field — for sport
  7. last — finally
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. last — to go on
  12. fork — in a road
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. tear — to rip
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. swing — music
  20. key — in music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. last — final
  23. key — for a lock
  24. swing — to play on

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