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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — to go on
  4. wake — a trail
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mate — a partner
  7. last — finally
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. band — a ring
  15. mate — to breed
  16. band — a music group
  17. mug — a cup
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mug — a face
  20. last — final
  21. mug — to rob
  22. club — a group
  23. row — a line
  24. club — for dancing

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