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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. club — for dancing
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. club — a group
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pop — to visit
  12. staff — employees
  13. spring — of water
  14. bat — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — the season
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pop — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. pop — soda
  24. club — for golf

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