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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. club — a group
  3. fall — the season
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. saw — the tool
  8. club — for dancing
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. club — for golf
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. suit — clothes

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