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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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 — a group
  2. hand — in cards
  3. kid — child
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hand — help
  7. track — to keep track
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — decided
  10. club — for golf
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. track — a song
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bank — for money
  19. firm — steady
  20. track — a path
  21. firm — a company
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bank — for money
  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