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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: firm · mine · hand · patient · key · lash · spell · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mine — for digging
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hand — in cards
  7. object — an aim
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. firm — a company
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. object — a thing
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. key — for a lock
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — help
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. key — in music
  20. spell — letters
  21. firm — decided
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spell — magic
  24. firm — steady

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