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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. band — a ring
  3. cue — a signal
  4. spring — the season
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rock — music
  7. file — a document
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rock — a stone
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rest — a break
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. spring — of water
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. band — a music group
  20. file — a tool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. spring — a coil
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cue — a hint

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