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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. club — a group
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. object — to protest
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. club — for golf
  11. fine — all right
  12. object — an aim
  13. fine — high quality
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. object — a thing
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. snap — to click
  21. club — for dancing
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fine — a penalty
  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