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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. craft — boats
  8. kid — child
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. last — final
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. club — for golf
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. last — to go on
  19. club — a group
  20. last — finally
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. craft — a skill

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