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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 stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. band — a ring
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. club — for dancing
  6. band — a music group
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fall — the season
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. club — for golf
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. club — a group

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