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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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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: lash · key · racket · snap · wind · fork · rash · pound

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pound — a weight
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. snap — to click
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — in music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pound — to hit hard

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