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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. season — of the year
  3. spring — of water
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. object — an aim
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spring — a coil
  12. key — in music
  13. spring — the season
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. craft — boats
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. object — a thing
  20. pound — a weight
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. object — to protest
  24. season — in sport

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