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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pound — a weight
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cap — of ice
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. kick — in football
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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