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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. shower — to wash
  4. key — in music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. race — humankind
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. race — a contest
  11. shower — rain
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. race — the arms race
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bass — low music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chest — a box

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