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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mark — a grade
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. kick — in football
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wake — a trail
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mine — for digging

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