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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rash — a series
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wake — a trail
  24. tube — a container

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