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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. club — a group
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lean — thin
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — soda
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pop — music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fall — to drop

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