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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. staff — employees
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. club — for golf
  16. ball — a dance
  17. club — a group
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hand — help
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ball — a great time
  24. suit — in cards

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