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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: lie · trunk · mate · suit · march · mug · club · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mate — a partner
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. march — the month
  6. suit — to fit
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. march — the month
  10. club — a group
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. march — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. shower — to wash
  17. suit — clothes
  18. shower — rain
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mate — a friend
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

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