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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. capital — money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. key — in music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bass — low music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. capital — a city
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. key — the most important part

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