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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. tear — to rip
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. object — a thing
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. object — an aim
  8. spell — magic
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. tear — from crying
  12. game — wild animals
  13. object — to protest
  14. spell — letters
  15. game — a match
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. club — for dancing
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spell — a short time
  24. arm — part of the body

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