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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bass — low music
  4. key — in music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rush — hurry
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spell — letters
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spell — magic
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. key — for a lock

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