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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 120 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. chip — for betting
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. face — to confront
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — of water
  9. club — for golf
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. face — to point toward
  20. chip — to eat
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. club — for dancing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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