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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wake — a trail
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mark — a grade
  9. sharp — clever
  10. roll — a list
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. row — a line
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. row — to paddle
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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