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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. court — for sport
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cue — a signal
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. court — of a king
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. court — of law
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rock — music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wind — moving air
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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