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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — a signal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — a group
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cap — a hat
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. club — for golf
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cap — of ice
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a line of people

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