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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. club — a group
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. staff — a stick
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. staff — employees
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chest — of your body
  13. club — for golf
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. present — a gift
  16. staff — employees
  17. row — a line
  18. chest — a box
  19. present — the time now
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. present — there
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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