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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cell — in biology
  10. net — for catching
  11. race — humankind
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. race — a contest
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cell — a phone
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. race — the arms race
  23. club — for golf
  24. net — after costs

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