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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spell — magic
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. file — a line of people
  11. spell — a short time
  12. file — a document
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spell — letters
  17. mark — a trace
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. file — a tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. trunk — of a tree

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