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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — a coil
  7. club — for dancing
  8. spring — of water
  9. face — to confront
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pit — in a race
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. spring — the season
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rest — a break
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pit — a hole
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cap — a lid

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