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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mug — to rob
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pound — a weight
  12. spell — letters
  13. club — for golf
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. key — in music
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wind — moving air
  18. row — a line
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spell — magic
  21. mug — a face
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. key — the most important part

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