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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. key — the most important part
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rash — hasty
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chest — a box
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — in music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. board — a committee
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. chest — of your body

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