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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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Word bank
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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rash — hasty
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. snap — to click
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. object — a thing
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. club — for golf
  17. object — an aim
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. object — to protest
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rash — a series

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