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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: trunk · hand · cue · rash · pound · snap · mug · fall

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — a face
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fall — the season
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cue — a signal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mug — a cup
  13. snap — to click
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. hand — help
  16. mug — to rob
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rash — a series
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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