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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. track — to keep track
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. scale — in music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. scale — size or range
  14. track — a path
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — the most important part
  22. row — a line
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. track — a song

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