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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lean — thin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lean — to bend
  7. club — for golf
  8. race — a contest
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. race — humankind
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kid — child
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. race — the arms race
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. kid — to tease
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. club — a group
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mouse — the animal

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