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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cap — of ice
  4. last — to go on
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. last — final
  9. cue — for pool
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. last — finally
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stock — shares
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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