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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spell — magic
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — a song
  5. roll — a list
  6. chest — of your body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spell — a short time
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. key — the most important part
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. track — a path
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chest — a box
  17. track — to keep track
  18. can — a tin
  19. roll — a cake
  20. chest — of your body
  21. spell — letters
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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