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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. firm — steady
  3. season — of the year
  4. key — the most important part
  5. season — in sport
  6. firm — decided
  7. land — to come down
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. present — there
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. key — in music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. land — ground
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. firm — a company
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. land — a country
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wave — with your hand

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