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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 120 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. key — in music
  3. track — a song
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. key — the most important part
  8. content — happy
  9. rash — a series
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. march — the month
  14. rash — hasty
  15. track — to keep track
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. content — the amount
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — the month
  21. key — for a lock
  22. staff — a stick
  23. march — music
  24. track — a path

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