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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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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tear — from crying
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. key — in music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rush — hurry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. key — for a lock

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