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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — a grade
  8. net — in sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mark — a trace
  11. net — after costs
  12. present — a gift
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. net — for catching
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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