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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rash — a series
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. club — a group
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. club — for golf
  18. hide — animal skin

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