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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ground — a position
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. face — to confront
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to point toward
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bore — to drill

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