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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bank — of a river
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bank — for money
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. key — in music
  19. spell — magic
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pass — a permit
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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