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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bass — low music
  10. shower — rain
  11. key — for a lock
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rest — a break
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. key — in music
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bass — the instrument

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