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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — music
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cue — for pool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cue — a hint
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. swing — to play on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. swing — in golf
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lash — to lash out

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