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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. last — final
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wind — moving air
  7. net — in sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. net — after costs
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. track — a path
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — for catching
  16. last — finally
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. last — to go on
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wind — moving air
  24. club — for golf

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