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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. shower — rain
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. staff — employees
  7. face — to confront
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. suit — in cards
  10. shower — to wash
  11. staff — a stick
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bark — to shout
  15. suit — to fit
  16. game — a match
  17. face — to point toward
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. face — part of the head
  22. suit — clothes
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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