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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: spell · lash · ball · mark · key · nail · court · bound

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. key — in music
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mark — a grade
  9. court — for sport
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. key — for a lock
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mark — a trace
  16. court — of law
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. key — the most important part
  22. court — of a king
  23. spell — letters
  24. bound — certain

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