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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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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 · wake · club · snap · lash · ground · safe · staff

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. staff — employees
  3. ground — the earth
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. staff — a stick
  8. key — in music
  9. club — for golf
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — crushed
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. club — a group
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wake — a trail
  18. snap — to click
  19. club — for dancing
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ground — a position
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. key — for a lock
  24. safe — out of danger

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