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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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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: bay · present · bat · rest · lash · key · firm · court

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rest — what's left
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. court — of law
  9. bat — the animal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — for a lock
  13. court — of a king
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. court — for sport
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. firm — a company
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. present — the time now
  23. rest — a break
  24. firm — decided

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