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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spell — letters
  6. press — to push
  7. cell — in biology
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cell — a phone
  12. club — a group
  13. spell — magic
  14. press — newspapers
  15. last — finally
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. last — to go on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. club — for dancing

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