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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. club — for golf
  11. squash — the sport
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. spell — magic
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pass — a permit
  18. firm — a company
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spell — letters
  21. lie — to recline
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. rush — a thrill

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