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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. race — humankind
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. can — a tin
  7. swing — to play on
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. race — the arms race
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rock — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. club — a group
  17. race — a contest
  18. rock — a stone
  19. club — for golf
  20. degree — temperature
  21. club — for dancing
  22. swing — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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