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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
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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: spring · trunk · cue · mate · net · hide · track · snap

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. net — after costs
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. net — for catching
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mate — to breed
  11. track — a path
  12. cue — for pool
  13. spring — a coil
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — of water
  18. track — a song
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. snap — to click
  21. mate — a partner
  22. net — in sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. hide — to keep secret

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