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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wound — an injury
  3. club — for golf
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cue — a signal
  13. object — a thing
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. object — to protest
  21. club — for dancing
  22. object — an aim
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bear — the animal

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