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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cue — a hint
  3. suit — clothes
  4. game — wild animals
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. scale — in music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. game — a match
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. suit — to fit
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fork — to eat with

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