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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. last — to go on
  13. present — a gift
  14. last — final
  15. present — the time now
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. last — finally
  19. present — there
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. track — to keep track
  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