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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — a trail
  8. net — after costs
  9. ball — a dance
  10. net — for catching
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — in sport
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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