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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. object — to protest
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. object — an aim
  8. cue — for pool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cue — a hint
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hand — help
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cue — a signal
  21. object — a thing
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — to hurry

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