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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. club — for golf
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. file — a tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. file — a line of people
  15. board — a committee
  16. rock — music
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. key — in music
  19. board — to get on
  20. roll — a list
  21. cold — not warm
  22. roll — a cake
  23. key — the most important part
  24. file — a document

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