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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mark — a grade
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mark — a trace
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. track — a path
  10. cue — for pool
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. track — a song
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lean — to rest against

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