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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. club — a group
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. root — of a word
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. root — the cause

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