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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. squash — to crush
  5. drill — a practice
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bass — low music
  10. rock — music
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rock — a stone
  14. drill — army training
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. drill — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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