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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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 signal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mate — a partner
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pop — music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pop — soda
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bowl — a football final

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