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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bear — the animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cue — for pool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rest — a break
  21. ground — a position
  22. cell — in biology
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bear — to put up with

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