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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bound — tied together
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. club — for golf
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bound — certain
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. sharp — clever
  13. snap — to click
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bound — obliged
  16. club — a group
  17. fine — high quality
  18. last — final
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. fine — all right
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. sharp — with an edge

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