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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cue — a hint
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wake — a trail
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rest — a break
  10. clip — for paper
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. foot — a measure
  14. clip — a video
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cue — for pool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cue — a signal
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rest — what's left
  24. snap — to click

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