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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rash — hasty
  4. club — a group
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rash — a series
  8. kick — in football
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. plane — a tool
  11. clip — for paper
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. shower — rain
  14. toast — bread
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. clip — a video
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. club — for dancing
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rash — on the skin

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