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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bound — certain
  5. stem — to come from
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bound — tied together
  11. scale — in music
  12. club — for golf
  13. object — to protest
  14. wind — moving air
  15. object — a thing
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. object — an aim
  24. stem — of a plant

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