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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. field — for sport
  5. club — a group
  6. snap — to click
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. field — a subject
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bank — of a river
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bank — for money
  22. field — farmland
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. leaves — of a tree

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