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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cue — a hint
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cue — for pool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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