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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. game — a match
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. club — a group
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. rush — hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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