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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — for money
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cue — a signal
  10. club — for golf
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bank — of a river
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a committee
  19. tear — to rip
  20. board — to get on
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bank — for money
  23. lie — to recline
  24. board — a flat piece

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