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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · mark · shower · club · hand · staff · wound · suit

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mark — a trace
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wound — an injury
  6. club — for golf
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wound — an injury
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. club — for dancing
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mug — a face
  23. club — a group
  24. shower — to wash

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