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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. file — a line of people
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kick — in football
  9. scale — in music
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. file — a document
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. board — a committee
  17. club — a group
  18. board — to get on
  19. file — a tool
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. scale — size or range
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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