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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. club — a group
  11. squash — the sport
  12. last — to go on
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. last — finally
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lean — thin
  20. last — final
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bank — of a river
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. club — for golf

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