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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lie — to recline
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cold — not warm
  7. current — of water
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. current — happening now
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mate — a friend
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. current — electric
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mate — a partner
  23. track — to keep track
  24. trunk — of a tree

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