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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mark — a trace
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. kick — in football
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cap — a hat
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cap — of ice
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hand — help

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