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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. snap — to click
  3. charge — a price
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lean — to bend
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pop — music
  15. lean — thin
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pop — to visit
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pop — soda
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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