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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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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: object · face · key · safe · cold · net · lash · pound

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. net — in sport
  10. pound — a weight
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. key — the most important part
  13. face — to confront
  14. cold — not warm
  15. object — a thing
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. key — for a lock

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