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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 116 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 · land · pass · net · trunk · ground · lash · snap

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ground — crushed
  5. land — to come down
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. snap — to click
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ground — the earth
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cue — a hint
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. net — for catching
  16. pass — a permit
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. net — after costs
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. net — in sport
  24. ground — a position

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