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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. toast — the most admired
  4. fine — all right
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fine — high quality
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rest — a break
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. track — a song
  19. toast — bread
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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