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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 116 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. club — for golf
  4. mug — a cup
  5. club — a group
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cell — in biology
  20. lean — thin
  21. mug — a face
  22. can — a tin
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rest — a break

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