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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mate — to breed
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fall — the season
  5. net — for catching
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. drill — army training
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mate — a partner
  14. net — in sport
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. net — after costs
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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