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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — a trace
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — a signal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wake — a trail

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