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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. band — a ring
  5. file — a document
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cue — a signal
  8. file — a tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cue — for pool
  12. band — a music group
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ground — a position
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ground — crushed
  20. dip — to sink
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bear — the animal
  24. suit — in cards

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