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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cue — a signal
  4. club — for golf
  5. cap — a hat
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. hand — help
  10. board — a committee
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cue — a hint
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cue — for pool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — to get on
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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