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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 120 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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. club — a group
  5. clip — a video
  6. season — in sport
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. swing — music
  9. firm — steady
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. clip — to cut
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. firm — decided
  14. shower — to wash
  15. season — of the year
  16. club — for dancing
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — for golf
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. clip — for paper
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. firm — a company

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