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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — a law
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rule — government
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bulb — for light

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