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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. band — a music group
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mug — a face
  7. band — a ring
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bass — the fish
  14. snap — to click
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bore — to drill
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bass — low music
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mug — a cup
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. band — a rubber band

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