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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. last — finally
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lean — thin
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pop — soda
  11. last — final
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. last — to go on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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