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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to click
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. court — of law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. court — of a king
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. club — a group
  22. court — for sport
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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