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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. club — for dancing
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. swing — in golf
  6. season — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. club — a group
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. swing — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. club — for golf
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. season — of the year

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