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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lean — to bend
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. kid — child
  20. lean — thin
  21. band — a ring
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. kid — to tease
  24. band — a music group

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