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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. tube — a container
  7. march — the month
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pound — a weight
  15. march — the month
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. kick — in football
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. tube — the underground
  22. march — music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wake — a trail

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