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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. club — a group
  5. fall — the season
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. club — for golf
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hand — in cards
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. track — a song
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. track — to keep track
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rock — music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fall — to drop
  20. club — for dancing
  21. track — a path
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. hand — help
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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