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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · key · racket · spell · cabinet · lash · staff · craft

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. spell — letters
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. staff — employees
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. craft — boats
  13. hand — help
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spell — a short time
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — magic
  18. key — for a lock
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. hand — in cards
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. staff — a stick
  24. lash — an eyelash

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