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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mate — to breed
  3. key — the most important part
  4. current — electric
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. key — in music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cap — of ice
  14. current — of water
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cap — a lid
  21. swing — music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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