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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lean — thin
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. swing — in golf
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. club — a group
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. swing — music
  12. suit — in cards
  13. shower — rain
  14. lean — to bend
  15. club — for dancing
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. swing — to play on
  24. snap — to click

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