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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. rock — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bore — to tire
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. scale — in music
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bore — to drill
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  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