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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — after costs
  5. spell — letters
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tube — the underground
  14. net — in sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. net — for catching
  24. ball — a dance

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