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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. club — a group
  3. pop — music
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — to visit
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. hand — help
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. court — of a king
  13. pop — soda
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. saw — the tool
  18. club — for dancing
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. court — of law
  22. club — for golf
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. dip — to sink

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