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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.

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: season · lash · tube · last · content · degree · kick · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. degree — from a university
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. degree — an amount
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. key — in music
  11. last — final
  12. tube — a container
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. content — happy
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. season — of the year
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. degree — temperature
  23. key — for a lock
  24. kick — in football

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