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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. kid — child
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. club — for golf
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bowl — a dish

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