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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. saw — the tool
  3. scale — in music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. club — for golf
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. club — a group
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. scale — for weighing

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