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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 124 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chest — a box

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