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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. branch — a division
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. key — in music
  7. pop — soda
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. band — a music group
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. row — a line
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ball — a dance
  21. band — a ring
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. key — for a lock

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