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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. key — the most important part
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bound — certain
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. key — in music
  9. rest — a break
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. last — finally
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. last — to go on
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rest — what's left
  22. last — final
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — what's left

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