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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. suit — to fit
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. squash — to crush
  14. clip — for paper
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. clip — a video
  19. craft — boats
  20. suit — clothes
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pass — a permit

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