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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cue — for pool
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rock — music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cue — a signal
  19. staff — employees
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cap — of ice
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. swing — music

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