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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. last — final
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pass — a permit
  6. last — finally
  7. club — a group
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. club — for golf
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rest — a break
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. snap — to click
  19. last — to go on
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kick — in football
  24. pass — to spend time

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