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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. present — there
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. present — the time now
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. present — a gift

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