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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: rest · snap · nail · mate · last · cue · prune · trunk

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rest — what's left
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rest — a break
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. cue — a signal
  24. last — to go on

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