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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wound — an injury
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. suit — in cards
  22. branch — a division
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. club — a group

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