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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mug — to rob
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mug — a face
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. spring — the season
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. key — for a lock
  14. season — in sport
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. season — of the year
  17. swing — music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. branch — a division
  20. key — in music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spring — of water
  24. ruler — for measuring

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