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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. kick — in football
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spell — letters
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. arm — part of the body

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