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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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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. club — for dancing
  4. fall — the season
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chair — a leader
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. club — for golf
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. club — a group
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fall — to drop
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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