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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rash — hasty
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pop — soda
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mark — a grade
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. saw — the tool

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