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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. tube — a container
  7. chip — to eat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cue — for pool
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pop — soda
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mate — a friend
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — music
  24. mate — to breed

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