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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.

Make a worksheet

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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. can — a tin
  13. mug — a face
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mug — a cup
  16. spring — of water
  17. key — in music
  18. spring — the season
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — a tin
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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