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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. key — in music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. object — a thing
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — to protest
  16. pop — soda
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. key — for a lock
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. branch — a division
  23. wake — a trail
  24. nail — for a hammer

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