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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. scale — size or range
  3. deal — to handle
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. firm — a company
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. key — in music
  11. cell — in biology
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. kick — in football
  15. firm — decided
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. firm — steady
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. deal — a big deal

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