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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lie — to recline
  3. shower — rain
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. club — a group
  9. current — happening now
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. club — for dancing
  15. march — music
  16. craft — boats
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. shower — to wash
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. lie — an untruth

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