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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spell — letters
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. key — in music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hand — help
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. key — for a lock
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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