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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 124 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. club — for golf
  2. mine — for digging
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. content — happy
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. content — the amount
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. club — a group
  22. snap — to click
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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