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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pit — in a race
  5. track — to keep track
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. key — in music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. key — the most important part
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. kick — in football
  24. rest — a break

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