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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: rest · fork · key · spell · chair · object · pop · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chair — a leader
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rest — what's left
  9. object — to protest
  10. rest — a break
  11. key — in music
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. spell — letters
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. object — a thing
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. object — an aim
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pop — to visit
  24. spell — magic

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