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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.

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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — clever
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mug — a face
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mug — to rob
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. object — a thing
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. capital — money
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. capital — a city
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. object — an aim
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. object — to protest
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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