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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 116 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: key · lash · wind · land · rest · mark · cabinet · pit

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rest — a break
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wind — moving air
  14. land — a country
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pit — in a race
  21. land — to come down
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wind — moving air
  24. land — ground

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