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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. key — for a lock
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. dip — to sink
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. last — finally
  12. rash — hasty
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. last — to go on
  19. lean — to bend
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. last — final
  22. net — for catching
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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