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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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468
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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cap — of ice
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. net — for catching
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. net — after costs
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — in music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. net — in sport
  23. cap — a hat
  24. racket — a loud noise

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