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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. shower — rain
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. deal — to handle
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. club — a group
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. dip — to sink
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. club — for golf
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. jam — a tight spot

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