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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: last · spring · rest · staff · key · wound · lash · bay

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. key — in music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. staff — employees
  9. rest — what's left
  10. last — to go on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spring — a coil
  13. staff — a stick
  14. spring — the season
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. wound — an injury
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. spring — of water
  22. last — final
  23. key — for a lock
  24. staff — employees

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