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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chest — a box
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. club — a group
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chest — of your body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mark — to pay attention

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