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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · content · court · lash · mouse · file · dip · rash

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. key — the most important part
  4. dip — to sink
  5. file — a document
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rash — a series
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — happy
  12. court — of law
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. key — in music
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. court — for sport
  19. content — the amount
  20. court — of a king
  21. rash — hasty
  22. file — a tool
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. file — a line of people

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