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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. spell — a short time
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spell — letters
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. key — in music
  18. spell — magic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. current — of water
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fork — a garden tool

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