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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. net — for catching
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. net — after costs
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. net — in sport
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fork — in a road
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lash — an eyelash

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