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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pop — soda
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pop — music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mug — to rob
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mug — a face
  17. cell — in biology
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cell — a phone

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