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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rush — hurry
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mug — a cup
  9. field — for sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bound — tied together
  12. club — for golf
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. spell — magic
  15. bound — obliged
  16. spell — a short time
  17. field — a subject
  18. spell — letters
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bound — certain
  23. club — a group
  24. field — farmland

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