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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · club · stand · trunk · bound · craft · fine · dip

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fine — high quality
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bound — tied together
  11. club — for golf
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fine — all right
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. club — a group
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. dip — to sink
  21. shower — rain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stand — for spectators

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