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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lean — thin
  6. club — a group
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. swing — in golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mate — a partner
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lean — to bend
  18. swing — to play on
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. vault — a safe
  22. swing — music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. drill — army training

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