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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: trunk · last · nail · chair · cue · mate · squash · mug

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. last — final
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. last — to go on
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mug — to rob
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mug — a face
  14. mate — to breed
  15. last — finally
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cue — a signal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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