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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. club — for golf
  3. shower — rain
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mug — a cup
  7. court — of law
  8. mug — to rob
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. club — a group
  11. court — for sport
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. court — of a king
  17. club — for dancing
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mug — a face
  20. lie — to recline
  21. branch — a division
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — hasty

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