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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. spell — magic
  3. dip — to sink
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. file — a tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. club — a group
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kick — in football
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spell — a short time
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. spell — letters
  24. club — for dancing

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