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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. clip — to cut
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. key — in music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wound — an injury
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. key — the most important part
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wound — an injury
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wake — a trail
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wave — with your hand

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