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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. arm — a part of something
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mug — a cup
  6. court — of law
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. court — for sport
  10. mug — a face
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. row — to paddle
  16. court — of a king
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. wake — a trail
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mug — to rob
  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