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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — for pool
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rock — music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cue — a signal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ball — a dance
  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