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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. race — humankind
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. race — the arms race
  18. club — a group
  19. bore — to drill
  20. chip — for betting
  21. race — a contest
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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