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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. chest — a box
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cell — in biology
  18. chest — of your body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cue — a signal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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