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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bass — low music
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. perch — the fish
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cell — a phone

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