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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · key · lash · game · pound · trunk · safe · wave

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. key — the most important part
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pound — a weight
  17. game — a match
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. game — a kind of play

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