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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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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. key — for a lock
  5. row — to paddle
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — in music
  16. ball — a great time
  17. can — a tin
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — to be able to

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