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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 an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. foot — a measure
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. saw — the tool
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rush — hurry
  21. snap — to click
  22. saw — the tool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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