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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — in cards
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rule — a law
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. key — in music
  10. rule — government
  11. object — to protest
  12. hand — help
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — an aim
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bore — to drill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bore — to tire
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rule — to rule out

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