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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. spring — of water
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — clothes
  5. key — the most important part
  6. race — a contest
  7. wind — moving air
  8. key — for a lock
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. race — humankind
  13. suit — to fit
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wind — moving air
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — the season
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. hand — help
  23. key — in music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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