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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fine — all right
  3. firm — decided
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. game — a match
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. drill — army training
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. drill — a practice
  16. firm — steady
  17. drill — the tool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. firm — a company
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. fine — high quality
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. temple — side of the head

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