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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. row — a line
  3. key — the most important part
  4. row — to paddle
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. key — in music
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pitch — completely
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — a quarrel

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