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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. file — a line of people
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. charge — in control
  12. file — a tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — in music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. band — a ring
  20. charge — a price
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. racket — for tennis
  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