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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. toast — bread
  5. cue — for pool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. last — finally
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cue — a signal
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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