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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. club — a group
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. clip — for paper
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fall — to drop
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. clip — a video
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. clip — to cut
  17. track — a song
  18. club — for dancing
  19. track — a path
  20. fall — the season
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. track — to keep track
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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