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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lean — thin
  3. club — a group
  4. net — for catching
  5. bass — the fish
  6. snap — to click
  7. club — for golf
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — magic
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. net — in sport
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fine — all right
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. net — after costs
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fine — high quality

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