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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wake — a trail
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. club — a group
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stock — shares
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. row — a line
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hand — help
  23. club — for golf
  24. row — to paddle

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