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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. spring — a coil
  5. scale — in music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. track — a song
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. spring — of water
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — a path
  15. bear — the animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — size or range
  19. spring — the season
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cue — a signal

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