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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cue — for pool
  4. present — there
  5. bass — low music
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. last — to go on
  12. cue — a hint
  13. present — a gift
  14. plane — a tool
  15. last — final
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cue — a signal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. present — the time now
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. last — finally
  23. can — a tin
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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