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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bass — low music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. club — a group
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bat — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. track — a song
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wake — a trail
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mate — to breed

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