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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lie — to recline
  8. club — for golf
  9. drill — a practice
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. drill — the tool
  14. club — a group
  15. current — happening now
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. branch — a division
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. shower — rain
  22. drill — army training
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. shower — to wash

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