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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. band — a music group
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. object — an aim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. object — to protest
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cap — a hat
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cue — a hint
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. band — a ring

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