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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. land — ground
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. land — to come down
  6. club — a group
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. can — a tin
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. club — for golf
  11. can — a tin
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. land — a country
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. drill — the tool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. can — to be able to
  21. drill — army training
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. drill — a practice

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