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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. lean — thin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tear — to rip
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — high quality
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. club — for golf
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. deal — to handle
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pound — a weight

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