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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ground — the earth
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ground — a position
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rash — hasty
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rash — a series
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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