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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. row — a line
  3. mug — a cup
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to click
  10. mug — to rob
  11. club — for golf
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. row — to paddle
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mine — for digging
  22. club — a group
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mug — a face

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