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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. snap — to click
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wind — moving air
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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