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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. club — for golf
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cell — a phone
  10. club — a group
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bank — for money
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bank — for money
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hand — help

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