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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ground — a position
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rest — a break
  18. ground — the earth
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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