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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — a path
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bear — the animal
  18. track — a song
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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