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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. 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. land — to come down
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. dip — to sink
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. club — for golf
  8. land — a country
  9. last — to go on
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. club — a group
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — ground
  18. 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