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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. key — for a lock
  6. track — to keep track
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — the amount
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. content — happy
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — a tin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — in music
  24. bark — to shout

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