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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. hand — help
  4. chest — a box
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a dance
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. club — for golf
  15. hand — in cards
  16. snap — to click
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ball — a round shape

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