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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. craft — boats
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. land — to come down
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. club — for golf
  8. chair — a leader
  9. land — a country
  10. craft — a skill
  11. shower — rain
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. suit — to fit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. land — ground
  21. suit — in cards
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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