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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. chest — of your body
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. swing — in golf
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chest — a box
  9. fork — in a road
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. swing — music
  12. season — of the year
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. shower — rain
  16. season — in sport
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mug — a face
  24. cue — a hint

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