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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. bound — certain
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mug — a face
  12. stand — to bear
  13. swing — music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. key — the most important part
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mug — to rob
  21. key — in music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lash — to lash out
  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