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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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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: cue · jam · court · hide · shower · lean · trunk · tube

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. lean — to bend
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. tube — a container
  7. court — of law
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cue — for pool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. court — for sport
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cue — a hint
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. court — of a king
  21. tube — the underground
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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