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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. club — for golf
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rash — hasty
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. club — for dancing
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chest — a box
  12. craft — boats
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. club — a group
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cue — for pool
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chest — of your body
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cue — a signal
  24. dip — a sauce

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