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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.

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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. craft — boats
  9. spell — letters
  10. key — the most important part
  11. hand — help
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rush — hurry
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lean — to bend

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