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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bass — the fish
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lean — thin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bass — low music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cue — a hint
  15. season — of the year
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rush — hurry
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cue — for pool

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