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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. track — a song
  10. spring — of water
  11. current — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. track — a path
  14. face — part of the head
  15. snap — to click
  16. current — electric
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. track — to keep track
  20. key — in music
  21. spring — the season
  22. current — happening now
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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