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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 116 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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 a car
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. face — to confront
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mug — a cup
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mug — a face
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mug — to rob
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  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