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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. season — in sport
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. season — of the year
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stand — to bear
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — the underground
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. tube — a container
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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