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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. drill — army training
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ball — a great time
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bank — for money
  23. key — in music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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