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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fork — in a road
  4. can — to be able to
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — a tin
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. dip — to sink
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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