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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cue — a hint
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. capital — money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. staff — employees
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. swing — in golf
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — a trail
  12. swing — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cue — for pool
  18. staff — a stick
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. swing — to play on
  24. capital — a city

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