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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lean — to bend
  3. club — a group
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — letters
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spell — magic
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. club — for golf
  16. fine — all right
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lean — thin
  24. hide — animal skin

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