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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. dip — to sink
  14. snap — to click
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hide — to keep secret

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