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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. track — a path
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. kick — in football
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. saw — the tool
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pound — a weight

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