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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cue — for pool
  6. file — a tool
  7. rest — a break
  8. file — a document
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rest — what's left
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lean — thin
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rest — what's left

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