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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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Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bass — the fish
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bass — low music
  15. swing — music
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. swing — in golf
  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