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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 116 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitch — completely
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. snap — to click
  5. rush — hurry
  6. club — a group
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. land — to come down
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. land — a country
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rest — a break
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. rest — what's left
  24. land — ground

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