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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cue — a signal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cue — a hint

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