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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. shower — rain
  3. object — a thing
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. club — a group
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fork — in a road
  12. row — to paddle
  13. club — for dancing
  14. object — to protest
  15. row — a line
  16. can — a tin
  17. object — an aim
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. can — a tin
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fall — to drop
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wave — of the sea

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