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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. club — for golf
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — a friend
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mine — for digging
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mate — a partner
  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