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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 120 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. last — to go on
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — for pool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — finally
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. last — final
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. dip — to sink
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cue — a signal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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