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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wake — a trail
  4. key — in music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mark — a trace
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — for a lock
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. scale — in music

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