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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. object — an aim
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tube — the underground
  7. spell — letters
  8. wake — a trail
  9. tube — a container
  10. field — a subject
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. spell — magic
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. object — a thing
  17. field — for sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. field — farmland
  21. spell — a short time
  22. object — to protest
  23. lash — to lash out
  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