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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. key — for a lock
  3. firm — a company
  4. last — to go on
  5. key — in music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. firm — decided
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. last — finally
  12. pit — in a race
  13. key — the most important part
  14. last — final
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stem — to come from
  19. firm — steady
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. foot — a measure
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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