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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cue — a signal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. cue — for pool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. track — a path
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cue — a hint
  19. track — a song
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — for a lock
  22. race — humankind
  23. rest — a break
  24. key — in music

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