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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. swing — music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spring — a coil
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. club — a group
  14. swing — to play on
  15. toast — bread
  16. mark — a grade
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spring — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. swing — in golf
  21. suit — clothes
  22. lie — to recline
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. spring — of water

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