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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cue — for pool
  5. chest — a box
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cue — a hint
  12. shower — rain
  13. club — for golf
  14. chest — of your body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cue — a signal
  22. club — a group
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wave — with your hand

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