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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mug — to rob
  4. key — in music
  5. rush — hurry
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mug — a face
  16. pit — in a race
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wake — a trail
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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