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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. spell — letters
  3. club — for golf
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wound — an injury
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. staff — employees
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. club — a group
  18. wound — an injury
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rush — hurry
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. drill — army training

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