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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cue — a signal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — in a race
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. game — a match
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — for pool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pit — a hole

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