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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lie — to recline
  3. track — to keep track
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. track — a path
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. season — of the year
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. track — a song
  19. season — in sport
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wake — before a funeral

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