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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. drill — a practice
  3. shower — to wash
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — army training
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. club — a group
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rest — a break
  16. craft — boats
  17. club — for golf
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. shower — rain
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — a division
  24. craft — a skill

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