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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. dip — to sink
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — a line
  8. cap — a lid
  9. row — to paddle
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. key — in music
  16. swing — music
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. band — a music group
  21. key — the most important part
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. band — a ring

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