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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rash — a series
  3. rock — music
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pop — music
  6. club — for golf
  7. rash — hasty
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pop — to visit
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rock — a stone
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pop — soda
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. shower — rain

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