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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. key — in music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — after costs
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. sharp — with an edge

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