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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 116 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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. shower — rain
  3. club — for dancing
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. club — a group
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. club — for golf
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bank — for money
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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