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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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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. face — to confront
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bass — low music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. club — a group
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — the season
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for dancing

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