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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. toast — bread
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. scale — in music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cue — a signal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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