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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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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: ground · leaves · snap · drill · lash · perch · key · swing

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. ground — the earth
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — in music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. snap — to click
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. key — for a lock
  20. drill — a practice
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ground — a position
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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