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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: cue · cell · can · bay · tear · bat · mouse · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cell — a phone
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. tear — from crying

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