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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. club — for golf
  3. bass — low music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. prune — to trim
  6. net — in sport
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chest — a box
  9. plane — a tool
  10. club — for dancing
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ball — a dance
  13. net — for catching
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — after costs
  18. club — a group
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chest — of your body
  24. prune — the fruit

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