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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mug — a cup
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rock — music
  9. shower — rain
  10. mug — a face
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rock — a stone
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mug — to rob
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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