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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stock — goods
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tube — the underground
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pound — a weight
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. tube — a container
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. plane — an aircraft

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