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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. squash — to crush
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rush — hurry
  5. clip — for paper
  6. squash — the sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. club — for golf
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. clip — a video
  14. kid — to tease
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. kid — child
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. clip — to cut
  22. foot — a measure
  23. club — a group
  24. rush — to hurry

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