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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rock — music
  6. club — for golf
  7. fine — all right
  8. present — a gift
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fall — the season
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mug — a cup
  18. present — the time now
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fall — to drop
  22. present — there
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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