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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pass — a permit
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bank — of a river
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bank — for money
  8. shower — to wash
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. shower — rain
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. swing — music
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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