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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — a group
  3. fine — all right
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a line of people
  10. club — for golf
  11. file — a tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. file — a document
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. club — for dancing
  20. season — in sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. season — of the year

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