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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fall — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for dancing
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. club — a group
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fall — to drop
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. club — for golf
  22. spell — a short time
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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