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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wake — a trail
  3. land — ground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a face
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. club — for dancing
  12. land — to come down
  13. lean — thin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. club — a group
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — to rob
  24. land — a country

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