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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rest — what's left
  3. can — a tin
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. can — a tin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a friend
  13. court — of law
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — for sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rest — a break
  24. court — of a king

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