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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: staff · leaves · lash · key · track · roll · straw · last

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. track — a path
  6. key — the most important part
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. track — to keep track
  11. staff — employees
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. staff — employees
  14. roll — a list
  15. last — to go on
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. track — a song
  21. roll — a cake
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. key — for a lock
  24. staff — a stick

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