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

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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 — to stop sleeping
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bark — to shout
  4. drill — the tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fall — to drop
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fall — to drop
  13. drill — army training
  14. fall — the season
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. staff — employees
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. staff — a stick
  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