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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. track — a path
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mug — a cup
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — a series
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mug — to rob
  15. key — in music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. sharp — clever
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. craft — boats
  21. cue — for pool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. rash — on the skin

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