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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. game — a match
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — to go on
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. staff — employees
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — a group
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. club — for dancing
  22. snap — to click
  23. staff — a stick
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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