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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: club · lean · wake · cap · bear · ball · fall · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. club — a group
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a dance
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. club — for golf
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lean — thin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wake — a trail

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