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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hand — in cards
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. club — for dancing
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — a tin
  19. club — for golf
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — a break
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. toast — the most admired

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