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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.

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
468
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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ground — a position
  4. kick — in football
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. key — in music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cap — a hat

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