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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bank — for money
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — in music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ball — a great time
  12. staff — employees
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. key — for a lock
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ball — a round shape

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