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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · cold · club · leaves · rule · key · ball · mate

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. club — for dancing
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. club — a group
  14. key — in music
  15. cold — an illness
  16. ball — a great time
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. mate — a friend
  21. club — for golf
  22. cold — not warm
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rule — government

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