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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. content — the amount
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bank — for money
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. date — the fruit
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. content — happy
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lash — an eyelash

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