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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fall — the season
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. scale — size or range
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cue — a hint
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. scale — in music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fall — to drop

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