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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mug — a face
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cell — in biology
  7. swing — in golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mug — a cup
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. club — a group
  16. staff — employees
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — music
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mug — to rob
  22. club — for golf
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — to play on

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