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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. charge — a price
  3. tube — a container
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cell — in biology
  7. snap — to click
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — in control
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. club — for dancing
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. tube — the underground

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