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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. key — the most important part
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pop — music
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. kid — child
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pop — soda
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. kid — to tease
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — in music
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. last — finally
  23. lie — an untruth
  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