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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a document
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. chest — of your body
  10. swing — in golf
  11. present — there
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. file — a line of people
  17. swing — music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. present — the time now
  20. file — a tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. lie — to recline
  23. club — for golf
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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