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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cue — for pool
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stem — to come from
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. swing — in golf
  11. band — a music group
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. band — a ring
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. swing — music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cue — a hint
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. swing — to play on

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