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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. club — for golf
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ball — a great time
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ball — a dance
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cap — a hat
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cap — of ice
  20. key — the most important part
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. club — a group
  24. wound — an injury

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