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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. file — a line of people
  3. drill — army training
  4. file — a tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. face — to confront
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. file — a document
  14. club — a group
  15. drill — a practice
  16. club — for golf
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tube — the underground
  21. drill — the tool
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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