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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. club — a group
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. capital — money
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. club — for golf
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stem — to come from
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a city
  19. key — in music
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rush — hurry
  24. club — for dancing

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