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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. stock — goods
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pit — a hole
  17. spring — of water
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stock — shares
  21. face — to confront
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wake — before a funeral

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