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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.

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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — humankind
  9. chair — a leader
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — in sport
  12. kick — in football
  13. race — a contest
  14. net — after costs
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. net — for catching
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — for a lock

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