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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. staff — employees
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. object — an aim
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rash — a series
  11. tube — a container
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. object — a thing
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. key — in music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kick — in football
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — to protest
  24. rash — hasty

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