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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 124 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. club — a group
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. content — the amount
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mug — a face
  9. content — happy
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. club — for dancing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rest — a break
  24. club — for golf

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