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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 116 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mark — a grade
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wind — moving air
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cue — a hint

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