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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. key — in music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. club — for golf
  7. race — humankind
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bark — to shout
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. key — for a lock
  15. club — for dancing
  16. race — a contest
  17. fall — to drop
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fall — the season

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