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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. scale — in music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rest — a break
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stand — to bear
  14. row — to paddle
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. dip — to sink
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. row — a line
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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