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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: season · lash · key · bound · lean · pound · shower · pass

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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 — the most important part
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lean — thin
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. key — in music
  7. bound — certain
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. season — in sport
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. season — of the year
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bound — obliged
  15. shower — to wash
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. shower — rain
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pass — to spend time
  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