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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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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: bay · club · shower · jam · hide · deal · trunk · bulb

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. shower — rain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. club — a group
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. deal — to handle

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