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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ground — crushed
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. ground — a position
  22. key — in music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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