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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. land — a country
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. kid — child
  7. cue — for pool
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — to rob
  11. land — to come down
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kid — to tease
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. land — ground
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mug — a cup
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mug — a face
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. nail — for a hammer

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