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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — in music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fork — to eat with

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