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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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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 · lean · mine · lash · last · racket · deal · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lean — thin
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. last — finally
  7. key — for a lock
  8. last — final
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mark — a grade
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. last — to go on
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. deal — an agreement

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