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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stand — to bear
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. club — for golf
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lie — to recline
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. club — a group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. perch — the fish

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