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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: trunk · bay · mouse · shower · stick · club · swing · snap

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. club — for golf
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. swing — to play on
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. swing — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — rain
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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