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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. swing — in golf
  21. roll — a list
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. club — a group
  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