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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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468
Word bank
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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cell — in biology
  4. club — for golf
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mate — a friend
  7. file — a tool
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. file — a document
  13. mate — a partner
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. club — for dancing
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. suit — in cards
  21. present — there
  22. mate — to breed
  23. club — a group
  24. suit — clothes

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