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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. field — for sport
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. season — of the year
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. key — the most important part
  11. season — in sport
  12. kick — in football
  13. field — farmland
  14. key — in music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — shares
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stock — goods
  22. spell — letters
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. field — a subject

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