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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cell — a phone
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rash — hasty
  10. court — of a king
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rash — a series
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. firm — decided
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rash — on the skin

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