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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. swing — in golf
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. dip — to sink
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rock — music
  9. file — a tool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. hand — in cards
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. file — a line of people
  17. hand — help
  18. rock — a stone
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. file — a document
  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