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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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Word bank
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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: mouse · race · bay · hide · fan · trunk · clip · club

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. club — a group
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. club — for golf
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. race — a contest
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. clip — to cut
  12. race — the arms race
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. club — for dancing
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. clip — a video
  18. race — humankind
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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