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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. craft — a skill
  3. club — a group
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — a match
  8. craft — boats
  9. club — for golf
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pound — a weight
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. shower — to wash
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. shower — rain

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