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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. last — finally
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. club — for golf
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rush — hurry
  8. last — to go on
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. club — a group
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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