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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. key — in music
  3. object — a thing
  4. file — a tool
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. object — to protest
  7. cap — of ice
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cold — not warm
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — an aim
  16. cold — an illness
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. file — a document
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lash — to lash out

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