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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wind — moving air
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — a face
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. club — a group
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. club — for golf
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — help
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wind — to turn a key

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