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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. key — in music
  4. spring — the season
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. firm — steady
  10. key — for a lock
  11. suit — in cards
  12. key — the most important part
  13. file — a document
  14. firm — decided
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. file — a tool
  18. rock — music
  19. firm — a company
  20. suit — clothes
  21. degree — an amount
  22. file — a line of people
  23. degree — from a university
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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