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

Word bank: nail · toast · ground · key · lean · cue · lash · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. key — the most important part
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. key — in music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ground — a position
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. ground — the earth
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lean — thin
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kid — child
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cue — for pool

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