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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: chest · rock · season · pitcher · stick · rule · lash · key

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. season — in sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rule — government
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chest — a box
  22. rule — a law
  23. key — in music
  24. season — of the year

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