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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. last — final
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. club — a group
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. club — for golf
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rash — a series
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. lash — to lash out

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