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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mug — a cup
  5. key — the most important part
  6. firm — decided
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mug — a face
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. key — for a lock
  13. degree — temperature
  14. staff — a stick
  15. degree — an amount
  16. firm — steady
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. staff — employees
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spring — of water
  21. firm — a company
  22. degree — from a university
  23. key — in music
  24. spring — the season

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