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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bass — low music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lean — thin
  18. rest — a break
  19. key — in music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wake — a trail

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