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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. snap — to click
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — magic
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. temple — a place of worship

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