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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cue — a hint
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cue — a signal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tube — a container
  24. trunk — of a tree

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