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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. club — for golf
  5. mate — a partner
  6. last — to go on
  7. rule — government
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. march — music
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. net — in sport
  14. march — the month
  15. net — after costs
  16. club — for dancing
  17. dip — to sink
  18. last — finally
  19. march — the month
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rule — a law
  22. net — for catching
  23. last — final
  24. club — a group

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