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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wake — a trail
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. drill — the tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. chip — for betting
  12. key — in music
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — a practice
  15. object — an aim
  16. drill — army training
  17. can — to be able to
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chip — in a computer

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