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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 124 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. staff — a stick
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. branch — a division
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. spell — magic
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. clip — a video
  22. staff — employees
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. staff — employees

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