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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bound — tied together
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pit — a hole
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bound — certain
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cue — a signal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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