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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 · kick · root · wake · stick · dip · lash · rest

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. root — of a word
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. key — for a lock
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. key — in music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. dip — to sink
  16. kick — in football
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. rest — a break
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kick — with a leg

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