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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'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. tube — the underground
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — a container
  5. key — in music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fall — the season
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. snap — to click
  20. key — the most important part
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bass — low music
  24. tube — in a tire

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