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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wound — an injury
  5. can — a tin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chest — a box
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mine — for digging
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cue — for pool
  24. can — a tin

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