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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. season — of the year
  8. roll — a list
  9. swing — music
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. clip — to cut
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — a video
  17. club — for dancing
  18. swing — in golf
  19. clip — for paper
  20. club — for golf
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. season — in sport
  24. roll — a cake

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