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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: row · foot · rest · bank · wake · key · club · lash

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. club — for golf
  3. foot — a measure
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rest — a break
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bank — for money
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — a trail
  15. row — a line
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. key — in music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rest — what's left

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