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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: rule · spell · tube · deal · lash · craft · kick · key

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. deal — to handle
  3. key — in music
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. craft — boats
  8. spell — magic
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — the underground
  11. spell — a short time
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rule — government
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rule — a law
  16. key — the most important part
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. craft — a skill
  20. kick — in football
  21. tube — a container
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. kick — a thrill

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