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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — to come from
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — a weight
  13. sharp — clever
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. club — a group
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. club — for golf
  24. trunk — of a car

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