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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — not warm
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rush — hurry
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tube — the underground
  14. club — a group
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. staff — employees
  17. bear — the animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tube — a container
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cold — an illness
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cold — the Cold War

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