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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. club — for golf
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. club — a group
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cap — a hat
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cap — a lid
  17. staff — employees
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. staff — a stick
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bass — 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