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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — a group
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fall — the season
  24. toast — bread

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