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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. staff — employees
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. can — to be able to
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. key — in music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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