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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ground — a position
  7. file — a document
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ground — the earth
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. club — for golf
  17. mate — a friend
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ground — crushed
  20. file — a line of people
  21. club — a group
  22. snap — to click
  23. file — a tool
  24. plane — a tool

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