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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. club — a group
  6. mark — a grade
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cell — in biology
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rash — a series
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. club — for golf
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rash — hasty
  19. club — for dancing
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rush — hurry
  24. calf — a young animal

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