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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. spring — of water
  3. ground — the earth
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. ground — crushed
  7. club — a group
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ground — a position

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