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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — for golf
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. net — in sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. squash — the sport

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