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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. content — happy
  18. face — to point toward
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stem — to come from
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. content — the amount
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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