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

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cue — a signal
  4. staff — employees
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spell — a short time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. spell — magic
  15. cue — for pool
  16. content — the amount
  17. spell — letters
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pit — in a race
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. content — happy
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. staff — employees

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