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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. cue — for pool
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a line
  16. bulb — for light
  17. row — to paddle
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cue — a signal

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