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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. file — a line of people
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. file — a tool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. file — a document
  15. branch — a division
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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