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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 120 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. club — a group
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kick — in football
  6. bound — certain
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wake — a trail
  11. face — to point toward
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stand — to bear
  20. face — to confront
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. club — for golf
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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