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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cue — for pool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mug — a face
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mug — a cup
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mug — to rob
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. object — a thing
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. tear — from crying
  20. object — an aim
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cue — a signal
  23. object — to protest
  24. trunk — of a car

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