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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — of water
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wake — a trail
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wound — an injury

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