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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mug — a face
  4. court — of law
  5. key — in music
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. drill — the tool
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. snap — to click
  11. mug — to rob
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. drill — army training
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. key — the most important part
  19. drill — a practice
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. key — for a lock
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. racket — for tennis

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