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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wake — a trail
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. club — for golf
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fall — the season
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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