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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rule — government
  6. snap — to click
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. club — for golf
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rule — a law
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. club — for dancing
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. hand — help

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