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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · lash · fall · key · rock · bowl

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fall — to drop
  11. key — in music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rock — music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rock — a stone

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