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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. face — part of the head
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mate — a friend
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. squash — to crush
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. face — to confront
  12. rock — a stone
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rock — music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. club — a group

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