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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. key — the most important part
  3. swing — music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. key — for a lock
  8. row — a line
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. swing — to play on
  12. object — an aim
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. key — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lie — to recline

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