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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: lean · mate · bowl · nail · stick · trunk · cue · calf

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cue — a hint
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lean — thin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lean — to bend
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cue — for pool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. trunk — of a car

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