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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. object — an aim
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. key — in music

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