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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ball — a dance
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. object — to protest
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mug — to rob
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. object — a thing
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ball — a great time
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mug — a face
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. object — an aim

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