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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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 — on a finger
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. object — to protest
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — a hole
  8. object — an aim
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cue — a signal
  11. object — a thing
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pit — in a race
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spring — the season
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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