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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rule — a law
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bat — the animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rule — government
  22. mate — to breed
  23. swing — music
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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