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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rash — a series
  9. prune — to trim
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rash — hasty
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. kick — in football
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rash — on the skin

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