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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.

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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. key — the most important part
  3. snap — to click
  4. charge — in control
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. track — a song
  10. fork — in a road
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. track — a path
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. key — in music
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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