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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mug — to rob
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — the sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. squash — to crush
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. fork — in a road
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. club — a group
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. suit — clothes
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lie — to recline

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