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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cue — a hint
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. fall — to drop
  6. suit — clothes
  7. march — the month
  8. fall — the season
  9. march — the month
  10. spring — a coil
  11. suit — to fit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fall — to drop
  16. march — music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cell — a phone

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