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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wake — a trail
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. court — for sport
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — to sink
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rush — hurry

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