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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lean — to bend
  3. current — of water
  4. cue — a hint
  5. capital — a city
  6. swing — to play on
  7. capital — money
  8. key — the most important part
  9. swing — music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. key — for a lock
  12. swing — in golf
  13. current — happening now
  14. lean — thin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. current — electric
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. key — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cue — for pool

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