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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 120 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. key — for a lock
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. content — the amount
  7. scale — in music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. content — happy
  15. fine — high quality
  16. spring — of water
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fine — all right
  22. branch — a division
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. spring — the season

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