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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. net — for catching
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — after costs
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. can — a tin
  17. band — a music group
  18. net — in sport
  19. can — to be able to
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. band — a ring
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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