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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. land — a country
  3. branch — a division
  4. key — the most important part
  5. game — a match
  6. key — in music
  7. track — to keep track
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. present — there
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. game — wild animals
  14. land — to come down
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. track — a path
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. key — for a lock
  19. land — ground
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. track — a song

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