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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ball — a dance
  3. charge — a price
  4. mark — a grade
  5. clip — a video
  6. swing — music
  7. club — a group
  8. ball — a great time
  9. charge — in control
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — to play on
  13. club — for dancing
  14. swing — in golf
  15. clip — to cut
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. clip — for paper
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. charge — electricity
  23. club — for golf
  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